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A recent report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 82 percent of all Americans over age 18 access the Internet every day, and perhaps more surprisingly, more than half of American adults over the age of 65 are online as well. With such a huge percentage of the population looking to the Internet for news, information and networking on a daily basis, social media sites such...more »

Microsoft's launch of the Surface this week provides yet more evidence that the world is moving to tablets. More and more of us are walking around with iPads and other tablets. We're checking email, playing games and using them to read books and magazines. We're definitely seeing it. Window & Door's Digital Edition is now averaging 3,000 unique visits and more than 90,000 page views per...more »

This week, Starbucks announced an initiative aimed to increase U.S.-based manufacturing—and thus, add more jobs to our economy. In a nutshell, the coffee company launched a line of merchandise for its stores—mugs, coffee, things like that—made exclusively by U.S. workers. The Reuters report points out that Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz is calling on all executives to step up...more »

I wish I could say Window & Door is always on the cutting edge of technology and business trends, but I have to admit we fall behind every now and then. We were the first publication in the industry with a website featuring the latest news and, more recently, we were the first to offer our publication as an app, but we claim no firsts when it comes to Facebook. In fact, we...more »

The Energy Star program, as jointly managed by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, is a long-time benefactor of incentives and tax breaks. It is a success story hailed as reportedly saving American $28 billion in 2008 alone.
With Energy Star’s subsidized popularity and resulting influence in the market, window manufacturers have had little choice but to...more »

The degree to which window and door companies were impacted by the economic downturn may vary significantly, but it’s a safe bet to assume that every single one was affected in some way, shape or form. Today—looking to brighter days ahead—many companies are still trying to do more with less, fighting the necessity to pass price increases on to their customers and trying to take...more »

Window and door manufacturers are retooling, with equipment suppliers reporting more activity of late. New machinery purchases are still limited by the wide availability of used equipment—and many companies remain cautious about the market outlook—but investment in production operations appear to be on the rise.
Opinions are definitely mixed on how big that increase may be. “We...more »

This article accompanies our main equipment market overview in the June/July issue.
Last year, GED Integrated Systems introduced the Automated Tri-Lite Assembly System, an automated line for producing triple-glazed units at a competitive cost. Featuring unique capabilities such as “touchless” handling of the center lite of the triple-lite IG, the line has received positive...more »

American Vision Windows sets sights on solar, garage doors and window coverings to thrive during the recession

American Vision Windows started selling windows, but the business has evolved in recent years, diversifying with the addition of a broad array of product lines. The expansion in product offerings, however, hasn’t changed the company’s focus—American Vision remains a home improvement company, working with owners to increase the energy efficiency and value of their homes....more »

In recent weeks, I’ve been chatting with a few people in the industry about operations challenges they’ve tackled in the last year or so. Sure—money is tight all around. But some companies are carving out the budgetary space to explore efficiencies and add capabilities. From sales and marketing to scheduling to installation and service, window and door companies are still...more »